5
Activating Farne Islands EU-109 on Thursday 25th August.
Post trip notes:
QRV from 10:42 to 13:00 in the end, first qso 15 seconds after sending first CQ and managed a new IOTA myself as well EU-170.
I checked DX spots:
9A4A-@ 14260.0 M1KTA/P mni tks for new one from eu170 gl. 1150 25 Aug England
HA6VH 14260.0 M1KTA/P 1137 25 Aug England
W1OW 14260.0 M1KTA/P EU-109 1057 25 Aug England
EA1DBX 14260.0 M1KTA/P qrp station, tks x qso 1051 25 Aug England
I had to move off 14.260 due to RA0CGY insisting on CQ'ing on frequency I went up to 14.285 and qso with OE6GND before returning to 14.260MHz.
In the end 60 QSO, all on 20m and all SSB. Furthest DX USA.
I'll load all qso to LoTW and I have QSL cards ready to go.
2.5W from FT817 to a W3EDP (84ft long wire suspended from a 10m fishing pole and then as an inverted L, used a 14ft counterpoise, into a 4:1 balun and a Z11 ATU)
The weather got much better by end of time on the island too.
Logistics:
Go to the quay at Seahouses on the Northumbrian coast, catch one of the tourist boats trips around the islands to look at the seals and the sea birds. You HAVE to ask permission from the National Trust warden BEFORE travelling to the island if you wish to activate it. AND even though they do land on the island check with the skipper of the boat that they really will land on the island. No generator ever and battery use only. Nothing can be screwed into the ground and everything must be self supporting. There are two possible islands you can land on Inner Farne (where I was) ans Staple, much further out.
The MVGlad Tidings IV (W Sheil runs the company) took me over to the island (£13 cost) with a couple other brave souls that wanted to see the seals, first thing it was damned wet and pretty miserable on the crossing as it was raining hard. The NT charges £5.30 adult landing fee but as life member no charge... if you go don't forget to take cash to pay it!
Once on the island as you can see from the movie (taken as I started) and the bottom one it cleared up enormously. There are walkways you MUST NOT wander out of as the ground is riddled with Puffin burrows.
Daylight operation between LOCAL time 11am and 4pm (10:00 UTC ad 15:00 UTC) allowed as those are the times the boats land. QRP was fun and great DX possible but 100W would havemade it much easier. Not quite a 'pile up' but constant string of qso from first to last and couple times 2 stations responded at once. I'll analyse the dxcc count later but nothing from G stations but lots from EU and NA.
Been asked several emails can I activate again as 'we were not ready' from one NA station... not this time but might again soon.